ZURICH.-Hauser & Wirth Zurich presents its first solo exhibition of works by London-based artist, Djordje Ozbolt. The exhibition will feature a selection of Ozbolts large and small-scale paintings replete with intricate detail and satirical humour.

Works such as Postcolonial Discourse, which portrays a Delft bowl heaped with raw meat balanced on the head of an African sculpture in a tropical yet gloomy landscape, raise questions surrounding culture, colonialism and identity. Meanwhile The Madness of Comrade Lenin shows a traditional portrait of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin painted with a muted palette. In contrast to the serious expression and gravitas of Lenin, a Communist flag and an acid-house smiley-face are super-imposed on to the subjects pupils. Both canvasses are exemplary of Ozbolts witty and unconventional approach, which results in collage-like images. In his work Ozbolt merges experiences from his frequent travels with subject matter from a vast array of references ranging from religious iconography to pastiches of still lifes; from political propaganda to pop-culture and kitsch. Seemingly incongruous symbols are seamlessly melded in Ozbolts fantastical paintings, merging diverse sources into a single compact, and sometimes macabre, narrative.

Ozbolt has described his artistic process as restless. His work gives him the freedom to effortlessly transition between different techniques, styles and topics with surrealist flair, creating his own distinct and darkly comical image of the world.